Ein Hotel, das von alten Traditionen lebt. Anders ist es nicht zu erklären, dass dieses Haus (noch) 5 Sterne halten kann. Der Empfang ist freundlich kühl. Man erhält den Meldezettel zum ausfüllen, den Hinweis auf welchem Stock das Zimmer zu finden ist und den Fingerzeit auf den Lift. Das wars. Das Zimmer war eher klein, aber sauber und mit einem grossen Bad. Das geht zwar in Ordnung, aber 5 Sterne? Die absolute Enttäuschung war das Frühstücksbuffet. Jede 2. klassige Pension bietet hier mehr. Die Auswahl ist mehr als eingeschränkt. Da liegen z.B. verloren ein paar Cherry-Tomaten oder 2 verschiedene Käse. Aber es gab doch 2 Sorten Schinken und sogar Lachs. Alles andere ist bei jedem 2-Sterne Haus schon Standard. Wenn man dann bedenkt, dass unser kleines Zimmer einen Normalpreis von CHF 570.- angeschrieben hat (ohne Frühstück!), gibt das sehr zu denken. Es war wohl bezeichnend, dass bei der Abreise nicht nachgefragt worden ist, ob der Aufenthalt angenehm war. Wir sind oft in Hotels im In- und Ausland und können vergleichen. Mehr als 3 Sterne ist das Haus nicht wert.

I stayed here in March 2005, and had a very similar experience to that of the Cheshire couple - being directed down a series of dingy corridors to get to the annex. I totally regretted staying here. It gives the newcomer to Basel the impression that the town is rough and grotty. It is not. I had business at the university, and walking towards that part of town in the morning was rather pleasant, making me wonder why I'd stayed in such an unappealing hotel and location! I would not go so far as to say don't stay in Basel, but definitely look further than this place.

We enjoyed our stay at the Euler, and especially liked the location. It is just a few steps from the main railway station, so ideal for people arriving by train. I must agree with previous comments about the air conditioning - not sure how it worked, but if you fiddled about with the bewildering buttons and sliders, the fan pumped out a bit of warm air. Air conditioning it is not! One other warning, this hotel has hard-core porn on the TV pay channels. Even if you don't pay, you see plenty before the TV demands money. I had a child with me, so I immediately went back to the reception to ask for it to be blocked. I was told by the night staff that this was impossible. Next morning I complained again, and the new staff fiddled with the computer and worked out how to block it. Euler, if you are reading this, please assume that ALL parents would want this channel blocked if they have children with them, so please turn it off before they get to their room.

We had booked into the "Hotel Central / Euler" for one night. Having found the Hotel Central, down a dingy back street, we couldn't get into it, and were directed round the block to the Hotel Euler. This is a grand-looking old hotel fronting onto the Bahnhofplatz, where the trams stop. From the plush reception we were shown down a long corridor, past the kitchens, into a poky lift, along another corridor, past a bleak sitting area, up a few steps, further along a corridor, past a building site, further along a corridor (don't look behind the curtain, you'll find a staircase up to a semi-derelict floor above), and finally to our room. This was at the back, overlooking the narrow street where we had searched in vain for the Hotel Central. Clearly, what's happened is that the Central has been annexed by the larger Euler, but the rooms haven't been fully integrated into the main hotel. (They are probably cheaper than if you book into "Euler".) Our room was clean and recently refurbished in a functional, modern style. The main problem, apart from the depressing journey to reach it, was that it was above a very lively bar that seemed to be home to some of the city's African community, who certainly know how to party - well into the early hours! Breakfast was on the terrace outside the Euler's very smart dining room and very pleasant it was too; high quality and nicely served. If you're looking for somewhere to stay very close to the station and the bus stop for the airport, then the location is excellent, but beware the rooms in the "Central" part of the Euler. To be honest, if I was passing through Basel again, I would try to avoid staying there by moving on to another place - it's only a couple of hours on the train from Bern or Luzern. It markets itself as a business and cultural destination, but if you haven't got time or inclination for either of these purposes, it's a bit short on charm. You can watch people swimming down the Rhine with their clothes in a plastic bag / float and wander around the Cathedral quarter (deserted) but the main street reminded me of Wigan on a Friday night (that's in Lancashire, England, by the way for the American readers). OK, I 'm exaggerating a little - Wigan doesn't have so many tables or musicians in the streets.

Our rooms were spacious and splendid. The bathrooms are gigantic and immaculate, but there is some difficulty for older guests in getting in and out of the shower. All services, especially dining room and room service were outstanding, although we did have some language problems at the front desk. The location so near the tram terminal makes noise a problem early in the morning, made more so by a less than efficient airconditioning system that required open windows for cooling. The plus side of the location is the ease of access to about any area of the city via the superb public transportation. We would definitely stay at the Euler again if we have the opportunity.